Television finally discovers Bad Astronomer Phil Plait

Astronomer Phil Plait first made a name for himself on the internet by tearing apart the bad science underpinning movies like Armageddon. On his site, Bad Astronomy, Plait moved from scientific film critic to published author and full-fledged science advocate, bringing the internet a much-needed dose of critical thinking as well as always fascinating astronomy news.

Phil Plait

Now Plait is set to make a splash on television as The Discovery Channel presents Bad Universe.

I’ve been working with the Discovery Channel on hosting a new TV science show called "Phil Plait’s Bad Universe". It’s a three-part program where I dissect issues in astronomy and science, putting claims to the test. There’s no air date yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be on your TV sets this fall.

As you can see in the trailer, the first episode is about asteroid impacts, and we tackle the issue in a way that I don’t think has been done on TV. I get right into the mix, blowing things up, flying in a jet, going where the action is so that I can participate in experiments with scientists and try to find out what works and what doesn’t. The idea here is not to have some dry, narrated documentary. Instead I will show you what’s going on, take you along, so that you can see how these things work and what we’re doing to investigate these issues.

Plait is a fantastic writer and engaging personality. Look for this to be the most fun you've had watching a science show.

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Neil Shurley remembers the full names of all the castaways on Gilligan's Island but has trouble remembering what happened last Tuesday. He's also worked as a camera operator for a mid-market TV station, written numerous video scripts, appeared in a few TV commercials, and once won $2100 on the game show Win, Lose or Draw.